Time to finish the bowl predictions! I'm not doing really well, going 5-4 in the first nine, but I'll keep plugging away here.
Fri Dec 31:
Car Care Bowl - South Florida Bulls (7-5) v Clemson Tigers (6-6): The Bulls have a good bowl record, as skimpy as it is, and Clemson has been too inconsistent this year. The Tigers have been streaky, and this long gap between games will cool their streak. The Bulls defense makes this a low-scoring affair. SOUTH FLORIDA
Sun Bowl - Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-5) v Miami Hurricanes (7-5): The Irish are feeling good about themselves, despite a mediocre record. On the other side, Miami has to break in a new coach; a bowl game is not a good place to do that. NOTRE DAME
Liberty Bowl - #19 Central Florida Golden Knights (10-3) v Georgia Bulldogs (6-6): SEC fans think their teams can win any bowl bowl, regardless of opponent. Georgia won't take a Conference USA team seriously, but they should. Central Florida is an offensive powerhouse, more than Georgia can take. This may be a huge blowout. CENTRAL FLORIDA
Chick-fil-A Bowl - #25 South Carolina Gamecocks (9-4) v #24 Florida State Seminoles (9-4): This might be the closest game this year. These two are fairly evenly matched. Both teams focus on defense and ball control offensive schemes. Jimbo Fischer's first year as Florida State coach was pretty good, but he just continued what Bobby Bowden started. Stever Spurrier has South Carolina moving well. I give the edge to South Carolina, but this game may be won by the last team to hold the ball. SOUTH CAROLINA
Sat Jan 1:
This is an interesting day. Five of the six games feature Big Ten teams, and we have a streak of three consecutive games featuring the Big Ten against the SEC. The SEC expects to win all three of those, but I don't agree.
Ticket City Bowl - Northwestern Wildcats (7-5) v Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-5): Tech has been sketchy this season, winning big sometimes but struggling at others. Northwestern started off well, but faltered late in the season. Which team will show up for each team? This one could really go either way, and the Big Ten typically opens New Years Day with a win (albeit usually in the Outback Bowl), so I have to do my first "no pick".
Outback Bowl - Penn State Nittany Lions (7-5) v Florida Gators (7-5): Florida has a great history against Big Ten teams, but the Big Ten has a terrific record in the Outback Bowl. Besides, Florida has to deal with the departure of Urban Meyer, and this year's version of the Gators is not a team to bank on a new coach. The Gators have been confused, especially offensively, so you know the Nittany Lions' defense will take advantage. Linebacker U will shut down the Gators, and probably force a turnover or two. PENN STATE
Capital One Bowl - #9 Michigan State Spartans (11-1) v #15 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3): The defending BCS Champs face the Big Ten runner-up, a team who really deserved to go to the Rose Bowl. The Capital One Bowl is another one where the Big Ten has shown up big, although usually with Michigan. The state will still be represented well. Alabama's defense hasn't been as strong as they were last year, which gives the Spartans a huge opening. This team was the biggest scoring team in the conference until Wisconsin caught fire the last four weeks, so we know they can score. Alabama's offense has been "off" this season. The Spartans' defense is good, but not outstanding, so Alabama will score some points. I don't think they can keep up with Michigan State, though. MICHIGAN STATE
Gator Bowl - Michigan Wolverines (7-5) v Mississippi State Bulldogs (8-4): Everybody thinks Michigan stinks in bowl games, but that tradition has been eradicated in past decade. Mississippi State started the season strongly, and seemed in line to battle for the SEC title, but then they fell apart late. Will they get themselves back together? I'm not sure, because I'm not sure they know what went wrong. They just faced some tough competition. Michigan didn't live up to their early season strength, as Rich Rodriguez still can't beat quality conference competition. The Bulldogs are out of conference, though, and they play a scheme that Rich Rod knows very well. For those reasons, I like Michigan to scrape out a close victory. MICHIGAN
Rose Bowl - #3 TCU Horned Frogs (12-0) v #6 Wisconsin Badgers (11-1): Once again, an unbeaten TCU fails to play for the National Championship. They were ticked off the last time, and they lost their bowl game. Could history repeat itself? You'd hope the Frogs would have learned, but they still talk like they should have been considered for the BCS National Championship Game, and this time they were booted for TWO unbeaten teams. Wisconsin is a "grind 'em out" team. TCU's defense is good, but they are a bit slow. Wisconsin will be able to score, and they will retain possession for long periods. They will wear down TCU's defense, who haven't had to play so hard for a full game, given their easy victories this season. Also, TCU has lived on the turnover, and the Badgers rarely cough up the ball. WISCONSIN
Fiesta Bowl - UConn Huskies (8-4) v #11 Oklahoma Sooners (11-2): Let's face it, the Huskies were lucky to win the Big East. The Sooners are a strong team, and the Huskies defense hasn't had to face a team as strong offensively as Oklahoma. This one will be horribly one-sided. OKLAHOMA
Mon Jan 3 - Orange Bowl - #5 Stanford Cardinal (11-1) v #10 Virginia Tech Hokies (11-2): Stanford doesn't have much bowl experience, but their coach knows about these situations. Jim Harbaugh may act the fool to the media sometimes, but when he buckles down, he prepares well. Frank Beamer always has a few trick plays in his repertoire, but Stanford's defense can be just as sneaky. These two are fairly evenly matched, but I like a strong defensive stand in the fourth quarter leading to a victory. STANFORD
Tues Jan 4 - Sugar Bowl - #4 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) v #13 Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2): Everyone is talking about how poorly Ohio State has played against the SEC in BCS bowls, but in college, each year provides a different team. Ohio State is playing with intensity, as Terrell Pryor and his comrades face a potential five-game suspension to start next season. For them, this is a crucial game, as they may never play together again. Pryor and a couple of the other suspended players are considering the NFL draft, but they aren't ranked high. Thus, this game is their chance to boost those ratings and improve their draft options. On the other side, the Razorbacks are new to BCS bowls, and haven't playing in many bowl games, period. More importantly, let's consider the Arkansas QB. Many people forget that Ryan Mallet originally played for Michigan. The Buckeyes hate ANYTHING related to Michigan, so they want to flatten Mallet. I think he'll be pestered all game, and get flustered. I predict three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, that contribute to a Buckeyes rout. OHIO STATE
Thurs Jan 6 - GoDaddy,.com Bowl - Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (6-6) v Miami Ohio Red Hawks (9-4): My loyal fans know how I feel about these post-New Years non-BCS bowls. It diminished the honor of the BCS games - the postseason should end with the BCS games. I understood the philosophy of the International Bowl, as early January is Canada's holiday season, but no other bowl should be scheduled here. Middle Tennessee State actually has a chance to do something the Sun Belt never has -- go unbeaten in bowls when more than one team plays. Unfortunately, I don't think they'll do that. Miami Ohio played well, and the MAC was a stronger conference than people thought. The Raiders may jump out to an early lead, but the Red Hawks defense will wear them down. MIAMI OHIO
Fri Jan 7 - Cotton Bowl - #18 LSU Tigers (10-2) v #23 Texas A&M Aggies (9-3): The Aggies finished the season strongly, but the long gap between games may hurt their young team. LSU has a great bowl record, and they always play well in bowl games. The Tigers defense may not have been as strong as usual, but it's good enough to slow the Aggies, allowing the Tigers offense a chance to get coordinated and stage a second half comeback. LSU
Sat Jan 8 - Compass Bowl - Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) v Kentucky Wildcats (6-6): I'd love for the Panthers to beat Kentucky, but I don't think so. The SEC does well in bowl games, and Pitt has two downsides: they were struggling late in the season, and they go into this game with their head coach. The departure of Dave Wannstedt will put the Panthers into a tailspin that will allow Kentucky to win easily. KENTUCKY
Sun Jan 9 - Fight Hunger Bowl - Boston College Eagles (7-5) v #8 Nevada Wolf Pack (12-1): Nevada should win easily. Here's a team that beat the high-powered Fresno State. Although they got help from the Bulldogs' placekicker, keeping the score that close was a testiment to the power of Nevada's defense. Will the Eagles even score as much as ten points? It seems unlikely. NEVADA
Mon Jan 10 - BCS National Championship Game - #2 Orgeon Ducks (12-0) v #1 Auburn Tigers (13-0): Let's face it, the Pac-10 does not have a good history of winning BCS title games, with the exception of USC. The SEC has dominated that game, and the Tigers have a high-powered offense to match their strong defense. Oregon's offense is just as strong, but defensively lack the power of the Tigers. AUBURN
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
NFL Week 16 picks
The playoff picture is getting a bit clearer, but there are still plenty of spots to determine. That'll be discussed later in this blog; first, let's pick the games.
Thursday night - Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Panthers may have won their second game last week, but they won't get two in a row. The Steelers' defense is one of the best in the league, and Carolina's offense just isn't firing. STEELERS, 27-10
Sunday early games:
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns: Old Browns v new Browns, and the old ones have almost always prevailed. That'll be so again, as the Ravens push to keep pace with the Steelers. RAVENS, 27-20
Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals: The Cowboys look better with Jason Garrett in charge. If he hasn't pissed off Jerry Jones, he should be hired as the permanent head coach. Even without that vote of confidence, the Cardinals' offense is sputtering and pathetic, which gives Dallas the chance to win their sixth game, and the fourth under Garrett's short reign. COWBOYS, 27-14
Detroit Lions at Miami Dolphins: Despite having a three-game advantage in record, I like Detroit's chances to keep this game close. However, like they often do, I think they'll fall short in the fourth quarter. DOLPHINS, 23-20
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills: The Patriots can get a double dip with a single win. By beating the Bills, they both win the division and the first seed in the conference, guaranteeing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. That will be incentive enough for the Patriots to win. PATS, 34-20
New York Jets at Chicago Bears: Before the Steelers game, I thought the Jets would miss the playoffs, figuring their last two games demonstrated a collapse of their offense. They turned it around the Steelers, and actually beat that defense on their own turf. Now the Jets travel to Soldier Field. While I would love to pick my Bears, I fear the Jets woke up and got moving. However, their special teams is still a weak point, so the Bears could pull out a win with great field position from kick returns. JETS, 27-23
San Francisco 49ers at St Louis Rams: The 49ers need a win to stay in contention for the division title, but I don't think that'll happen. The Rams are a new team with Sam Bradford, and they might win the division. RAMS, 24-20
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs: KC needs to win both of their games to clinch a playoff spot. Tennessee is out of the race, but playing spoiler fits their style. They got it together to pester Houston last week, but the Chiefs are entirely different. Most specifically - they haven't lost at home all season. CHIEFS, 27-23
Washington Redskins at Jacksonville Jaguars: Jacksonville is in a heated battle for the division title with Indianapolis. The Colts offense fired last week, but with Austin Collie out with injury, the Jags hope the Raiders can help them. The Jags will certainly do their part, as they are the most successful running team in the league, and the Redskins' defensive line isn't great. JAGS, 26-23
Sunday late games:
Houston Texans at Denver Broncos: It has been a disasterous season for Denver. Houston might have relaxed if they had beaten Tennessee, but that loss has made them mad. The Texans' defense will pester Orton and the Broncos all game. TEXANS, 27-23
Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders: Collie's out, but Manning is starting to find the timing with the young guys. The Raiders can bring pressure, though, so this might be a disaster. The Raiders' offense isn't great, though, and the Colts' defense has been forcing some turnovers. I think this one will be won on a late field goal following a Raiders turnover. COLTS, 27-24
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rogers will start, but the banged-up Packers have a tough challenge against the physical Giants. Worse, the Giants have something to prove, as the New York press has been charring them after giving up four fourth quarter touchdowns to the Eagles last week. An angry bunch of Giants is never a good sight for opponents, and now there's too much at stake for New York. GIANTS, 27-24
San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals: Cincy's offense has been atrocious, and a fissure between Ochocinco and Coach Lewis won't help matters. San Diego has to play without Antonio Gates, but they should still be able to win. CHARGERS, 27-17
Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay Bucs: Seattle needs a win to keep pace with St Louis, but the Bucs are challenging for a wildcard spot. The Bucs were shocked by Detroit last week; they won't let Seattle pull off the upset. BUCS, 23-17
Sunday night - Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Vick will run all over the Vikings' defense, and the Eagles will crush Joe Webb, especially without Adrian Petersen. EAGLES, 30-17
Monday Night Football - New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons: Like New England, Atlanta can win the trifecta with week, clinching the division title and the Number One seed in the NFC with the win. Throw in an unbeaten home record this season, and the defending Super Bowl Champs look to lose two in a row for the second time this season. FALCONS, 31-23
Division and Playoff races:
AFC EAST: The Pats seal the title with a win OR a Jets loss. That seems likely to happen between the two remaining weeks.
AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh and Baltimore are tied, but the Steelers hold the tiebreaker. This one will come down to the wire, though.
AFC SOUTH: Indy and Jacksonville are tied. The Colts hold the tiebreaker, so this one will also be decided next week.
AFC WEST: KC leads by a game, but it's not a lock. San Diego could leap frog over them if the Chargers win out and KC loses one. Worse, the Raiders hold the tiebreaker over BOTH, so if they all finish 9-7, the Raiders gain the crown.
AFC WILDCARDS: Jacksonville and San Diego could get a wildcard spot, but the Jets and Ravens would have to lose both of their games for that to happen. Pittsburgh has already clinched the playoffs, so if Baltimore wins the AFC North, the Steelers have one wildcard spot. A Jets win and Ravens win guarantees them postseason spots.
NFC EAST: Philly leads by a game, and they hold the tiebreaker. The Giants would need to win both games and Philly lose both games. An Eagles win clinched the title.
NFC NORTH: The ONLY division title clinched belongs to Chicago! The Bears are playoff-bound, regardless of how they finish. They can clinch a first week bye if they win out, or if Philly loses.
NFC SOUTH: Atlanta wins the division, and home field advantage, with a win. The Saints have a slim chance -- they'd have to win both of their games and the Falcons lose next week.
NFC WEST: The winner of this division might have a losing record. The Rams and Seattle are vying for the title, and San Fran still has an outside chance.
NFC WILDCARDS: The Saints and Giants clinch wildcard spots with a win. The Saints could lose both games and still make it if Green Bay and Tampa Bay both lose a game.
Thursday night - Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Panthers may have won their second game last week, but they won't get two in a row. The Steelers' defense is one of the best in the league, and Carolina's offense just isn't firing. STEELERS, 27-10
Sunday early games:
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns: Old Browns v new Browns, and the old ones have almost always prevailed. That'll be so again, as the Ravens push to keep pace with the Steelers. RAVENS, 27-20
Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals: The Cowboys look better with Jason Garrett in charge. If he hasn't pissed off Jerry Jones, he should be hired as the permanent head coach. Even without that vote of confidence, the Cardinals' offense is sputtering and pathetic, which gives Dallas the chance to win their sixth game, and the fourth under Garrett's short reign. COWBOYS, 27-14
Detroit Lions at Miami Dolphins: Despite having a three-game advantage in record, I like Detroit's chances to keep this game close. However, like they often do, I think they'll fall short in the fourth quarter. DOLPHINS, 23-20
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills: The Patriots can get a double dip with a single win. By beating the Bills, they both win the division and the first seed in the conference, guaranteeing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. That will be incentive enough for the Patriots to win. PATS, 34-20
New York Jets at Chicago Bears: Before the Steelers game, I thought the Jets would miss the playoffs, figuring their last two games demonstrated a collapse of their offense. They turned it around the Steelers, and actually beat that defense on their own turf. Now the Jets travel to Soldier Field. While I would love to pick my Bears, I fear the Jets woke up and got moving. However, their special teams is still a weak point, so the Bears could pull out a win with great field position from kick returns. JETS, 27-23
San Francisco 49ers at St Louis Rams: The 49ers need a win to stay in contention for the division title, but I don't think that'll happen. The Rams are a new team with Sam Bradford, and they might win the division. RAMS, 24-20
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs: KC needs to win both of their games to clinch a playoff spot. Tennessee is out of the race, but playing spoiler fits their style. They got it together to pester Houston last week, but the Chiefs are entirely different. Most specifically - they haven't lost at home all season. CHIEFS, 27-23
Washington Redskins at Jacksonville Jaguars: Jacksonville is in a heated battle for the division title with Indianapolis. The Colts offense fired last week, but with Austin Collie out with injury, the Jags hope the Raiders can help them. The Jags will certainly do their part, as they are the most successful running team in the league, and the Redskins' defensive line isn't great. JAGS, 26-23
Sunday late games:
Houston Texans at Denver Broncos: It has been a disasterous season for Denver. Houston might have relaxed if they had beaten Tennessee, but that loss has made them mad. The Texans' defense will pester Orton and the Broncos all game. TEXANS, 27-23
Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders: Collie's out, but Manning is starting to find the timing with the young guys. The Raiders can bring pressure, though, so this might be a disaster. The Raiders' offense isn't great, though, and the Colts' defense has been forcing some turnovers. I think this one will be won on a late field goal following a Raiders turnover. COLTS, 27-24
New York Giants at Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rogers will start, but the banged-up Packers have a tough challenge against the physical Giants. Worse, the Giants have something to prove, as the New York press has been charring them after giving up four fourth quarter touchdowns to the Eagles last week. An angry bunch of Giants is never a good sight for opponents, and now there's too much at stake for New York. GIANTS, 27-24
San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals: Cincy's offense has been atrocious, and a fissure between Ochocinco and Coach Lewis won't help matters. San Diego has to play without Antonio Gates, but they should still be able to win. CHARGERS, 27-17
Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay Bucs: Seattle needs a win to keep pace with St Louis, but the Bucs are challenging for a wildcard spot. The Bucs were shocked by Detroit last week; they won't let Seattle pull off the upset. BUCS, 23-17
Sunday night - Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Vick will run all over the Vikings' defense, and the Eagles will crush Joe Webb, especially without Adrian Petersen. EAGLES, 30-17
Monday Night Football - New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons: Like New England, Atlanta can win the trifecta with week, clinching the division title and the Number One seed in the NFC with the win. Throw in an unbeaten home record this season, and the defending Super Bowl Champs look to lose two in a row for the second time this season. FALCONS, 31-23
Division and Playoff races:
AFC EAST: The Pats seal the title with a win OR a Jets loss. That seems likely to happen between the two remaining weeks.
AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh and Baltimore are tied, but the Steelers hold the tiebreaker. This one will come down to the wire, though.
AFC SOUTH: Indy and Jacksonville are tied. The Colts hold the tiebreaker, so this one will also be decided next week.
AFC WEST: KC leads by a game, but it's not a lock. San Diego could leap frog over them if the Chargers win out and KC loses one. Worse, the Raiders hold the tiebreaker over BOTH, so if they all finish 9-7, the Raiders gain the crown.
AFC WILDCARDS: Jacksonville and San Diego could get a wildcard spot, but the Jets and Ravens would have to lose both of their games for that to happen. Pittsburgh has already clinched the playoffs, so if Baltimore wins the AFC North, the Steelers have one wildcard spot. A Jets win and Ravens win guarantees them postseason spots.
NFC EAST: Philly leads by a game, and they hold the tiebreaker. The Giants would need to win both games and Philly lose both games. An Eagles win clinched the title.
NFC NORTH: The ONLY division title clinched belongs to Chicago! The Bears are playoff-bound, regardless of how they finish. They can clinch a first week bye if they win out, or if Philly loses.
NFC SOUTH: Atlanta wins the division, and home field advantage, with a win. The Saints have a slim chance -- they'd have to win both of their games and the Falcons lose next week.
NFC WEST: The winner of this division might have a losing record. The Rams and Seattle are vying for the title, and San Fran still has an outside chance.
NFC WILDCARDS: The Saints and Giants clinch wildcard spots with a win. The Saints could lose both games and still make it if Green Bay and Tampa Bay both lose a game.
Monday, December 13, 2010
NCAA Bowls 2010 picks
This is the first half of my bowl picks columns. This one covers games starting Saturday December 18th and goes through Thursday December 30th. I will mention a couple of interesting surprises from this year's schedule. First of all, all three of the independent teams play in bowl games, something that hasn't happened in over twenty years. Also, due to strange scheduling, there are three bowl games in a row featuring matchups between the Big Ten and SEC. Just how wierd is that? Even stranger, all three of those games are on New Years Day, and two other New Years Day bowl games feature Big Ten teams. The Big Ten has eight teams in bowl games, and five of those play on January 1st.
Sat Dec 18:
Albuquerque Bowl - BYU Cougars v UTEP Miners: UTEP had a good year, but they had a favorable schedule. Their only impressive win was against SMU. BYU, on the other hand, started by beating Jake Locker and the Washington Huskies, then recovered after a four game losing streak. They finished the season by nearly beating Utah. BYU just warmed up better for this game. BYU
Humanitarian Bowl - #21 Northern Illinois Huskies v Fresno State Bulldogs: The first appearance of a ranked team in the bowls happens on the first day, which I'm sure Northern Illinois will take as a snub. It doesn't matter that the Huskies lost the MAC title game, they probably expected a better bowl. They'll take their frustration out on the Bulldogs, whose 8-4 record marked a good season. The Bulldogs might have registered an upset if it wasn't for the Huskies' perceived slight. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
New Orleans Bowl - Ohio Bobcats v Troy Trojans: I'd love to see the Sun Belt win this one, but the MAC was a tough conference this year, with plenty of teams clustered together. Ohio prevailed against some tough opponents, and that gives them the edge here. Let's face it, the Sun Belt isn't challenging enough to be a decent warm-up. OHIO
Tues Dec 21 - Beef O'Bradys Bowl - Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles v Louisville Cardinals: A new bowl game with a sponsor I've never heard of, and I don't know if we'll see this one next year. For now, though, it features an interesting matchup. Southern Miss has been up and down this season, so they aren't a sure pick. Louisville has had a down season, but the team is a scrapper, and would love to pull off the upset. I'll pick Southern Miss, but watch out for those fiesty Cardinals. SOUTHERN MISS
Wed Dec 22 - Las Vegas Bowl - #16 Utah Utes v #7 Boise State Broncos: In what I'm sure is a disappointment for both teams, the first contest between ranked teams (and the only contest until New Years Eve) features two teams that hoped to push the BCS bubble this season. Boise stumbled against Nevada while Utah just died in their last four games. I think Utah will remain down for this game. Boise's spirit may be down, but they'll play well enough to squash the Utes. BOISE STATE
Thurs Dec 23 - San Diego Bowl - Navy Midshipmen at San Diego State Aztecs: This is basically a home game for the Aztecs, which makes it dangerous for Navy. The Aztecs were actually a strong team this year. All four of their losses were by five points or less, and the Aztecs offense showed that they can score. The question is, though, whether their run defense is strong enough to slow the second best rushing offense in the NCAA. I don't think so, which is why I like Navy winning by three. NAVY
Fri Dec 24 - Hawaii Bowl - Tulsa Golden Hurricane at #22 Hawaii Warriors: Another home game, as the Warriors celebrate Christmas Eve in sunny and warm Hawaii. Hawaii is often tough at home, and they were brutal this season. Tulsa's defense is good, but I don't think they'll stop the Warriors. HAWAII
Sun Dec 26 - Little Caesars Bowl - Florida International Golden Panthers v Toledo Rockets: The NCAA looks to compete with Football Night in America as Toledo takes on the relatively new Florida International football team. I've seen some national analysts pick the Panthers, but I don't see it. FIU didn't win a single non-conference game, while Toledo beat Purdue. The Rockets were also getting better later in the season (with the exception of their blowout loss to Northern Illinois), which I think shows that their young players were maturing into their roles. I like the MAC to sweep the Sun Belt in the bowls. TOLEDO
Mon Dec 27 - Independence Bowl - Air Force Falcons v Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Air Force is frequently tough in bowl games. While they don't get to represent the armed forces in the Armed Forces Bowl (the military academy with the WORST record gets that dubious honor), they get a weakened Yellow Jackets team to help boost their bowl record. AIR FORCE
Tues Dec 28:
Champs Sports Bowl - #20 West Virginia Mountaineers v NC State Wolf Pack: First, let me congratulate the NC State Wolf Pack for an excellent season. They appeared in the Top 25 several weeks, although they didn't finish the season there. NC State overwhelmed some tough opponents, but losses to Clemson and Maryland hurt their record. For the Big East, it was certainly a down year for the conference, and there were times when no conference team was ranked. West Virginia hung on to their rank, but it certainly doesn't help that the conference winner AND runner-up failed to make the Top 25. That would seem to open the door for NC State, but the Mountaineers are a tough bowl opponent, and I think they'll take an early lead and hold on to win. WEST VIRGINIA
Insight Bowl - #14 Missouri Tigers v Iowa Hawkeyes: First appearance of both the Big Ten and Big XII, who face each other three times in the bowls. Missouri is the obvious favorite, but Iowa is traditionally a tough bowl opponent, and I can't dismiss that. I actually think Iowa will take a fourth quarter lead, but Missouri will get into field goal range on their last drive and win the game. MISSOURI
Wed Dec 29:
Military Bowl - East Carolina Pirates v Maryland Terrapins: The armed forces now get a second bowl, and it doesn't even feature a team with military history. Couldn't they have gotten Texas A&M for this game? They didn't, and they match a fiesty yet inconsistent Pirates team against a Maryland squad that continually improved as the season progressed. They nearly had a chance to play for the ACC title, after all! That momentum will help them, although the Pirates defense will keep this game scoreless until late in the second quarter. MARYLAND
Texas Bowl - Illinois Fighting Illini v Baylor Bears: Basically a home game for Baylor, nearly everyone is picking the Bears. I beg to differ, though. Yes, the Bears started the season strongly, but they seemed to lose steam after their loss to Texas Tech. They barely beat conference doormat Colorado, barely beat Kansas State (who were down this year), and barely beat Texas (who were REALLY down this year!). They were then blown away in their final three games. Illinois played in the highly-competitive Big Ten conference, and had some impressive wins. I have to go for the upset here, especially since the Bears have not seem a defense as fast as Illinois' this season. That fast defense will frustrate Baylor's offense, allowing Illinois the chance to win. ILLINOIS
Alamo Bowl - Arizona Wildcats v #12 Oklahoma State Cowboys: Aside from the Las Vegas Bowl and Hawaii Bowl, this has the best chance to be the worst blowout of the bowl games so far. The Cowboys offense is awesome; too strong for the Wildcats defense. Arizona's offense doesn't move well enough to keep up with Oklahoma State on EITHER side of the ball. OKLAHOMA STATE
Thurs Dec 30:
Armed Forces Bowl - Army Black Knights v SMU Mustangs: Army hasn't been to a bowl game in twenty years, and they have a chance to win this bowl game dedicated to our nation's armed forces. SMU has some tricks up their sleeves, so I'll pick them, but Army has their version of the spread working fairly well, so don't be surprised if the Knights bring the Armed Forces trophy home to West Point. SMU
Pinstripe Bowl - Kansas State Wildcats v Syracuse Orangemen: Kansas State had a down year from normal, but the entire Big East was down. Syracuse has a good record thanks to their conference record, but Kansas State earned their record against some harsh opponents. KANSAS STATE
Music City Bowl - North Carolina Tar Heels v Tennessee Volunteers: The Vols had a tough schedule, but they finished strongly thanks to games against weaker teams. I think their earlier challenges toughened them, so they should be in better position to win this game. TENNESSEE
Holiday Bowl - #17 Nebraska Cornhuskers v Washington Huskies: Holiday Bowls are frequently offensive showdowns, and this has the makings of another. Although Jake Locker and Washington were disappointing during the season, I think they'll get it together for the bowl game. They did last year. This will be an excellent offensive showdown, but Nebraska's defense will provide just enough deterrent to Locker to allow Nebraska to prevail. NEBRASKA
Sat Dec 18:
Albuquerque Bowl - BYU Cougars v UTEP Miners: UTEP had a good year, but they had a favorable schedule. Their only impressive win was against SMU. BYU, on the other hand, started by beating Jake Locker and the Washington Huskies, then recovered after a four game losing streak. They finished the season by nearly beating Utah. BYU just warmed up better for this game. BYU
Humanitarian Bowl - #21 Northern Illinois Huskies v Fresno State Bulldogs: The first appearance of a ranked team in the bowls happens on the first day, which I'm sure Northern Illinois will take as a snub. It doesn't matter that the Huskies lost the MAC title game, they probably expected a better bowl. They'll take their frustration out on the Bulldogs, whose 8-4 record marked a good season. The Bulldogs might have registered an upset if it wasn't for the Huskies' perceived slight. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
New Orleans Bowl - Ohio Bobcats v Troy Trojans: I'd love to see the Sun Belt win this one, but the MAC was a tough conference this year, with plenty of teams clustered together. Ohio prevailed against some tough opponents, and that gives them the edge here. Let's face it, the Sun Belt isn't challenging enough to be a decent warm-up. OHIO
Tues Dec 21 - Beef O'Bradys Bowl - Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles v Louisville Cardinals: A new bowl game with a sponsor I've never heard of, and I don't know if we'll see this one next year. For now, though, it features an interesting matchup. Southern Miss has been up and down this season, so they aren't a sure pick. Louisville has had a down season, but the team is a scrapper, and would love to pull off the upset. I'll pick Southern Miss, but watch out for those fiesty Cardinals. SOUTHERN MISS
Wed Dec 22 - Las Vegas Bowl - #16 Utah Utes v #7 Boise State Broncos: In what I'm sure is a disappointment for both teams, the first contest between ranked teams (and the only contest until New Years Eve) features two teams that hoped to push the BCS bubble this season. Boise stumbled against Nevada while Utah just died in their last four games. I think Utah will remain down for this game. Boise's spirit may be down, but they'll play well enough to squash the Utes. BOISE STATE
Thurs Dec 23 - San Diego Bowl - Navy Midshipmen at San Diego State Aztecs: This is basically a home game for the Aztecs, which makes it dangerous for Navy. The Aztecs were actually a strong team this year. All four of their losses were by five points or less, and the Aztecs offense showed that they can score. The question is, though, whether their run defense is strong enough to slow the second best rushing offense in the NCAA. I don't think so, which is why I like Navy winning by three. NAVY
Fri Dec 24 - Hawaii Bowl - Tulsa Golden Hurricane at #22 Hawaii Warriors: Another home game, as the Warriors celebrate Christmas Eve in sunny and warm Hawaii. Hawaii is often tough at home, and they were brutal this season. Tulsa's defense is good, but I don't think they'll stop the Warriors. HAWAII
Sun Dec 26 - Little Caesars Bowl - Florida International Golden Panthers v Toledo Rockets: The NCAA looks to compete with Football Night in America as Toledo takes on the relatively new Florida International football team. I've seen some national analysts pick the Panthers, but I don't see it. FIU didn't win a single non-conference game, while Toledo beat Purdue. The Rockets were also getting better later in the season (with the exception of their blowout loss to Northern Illinois), which I think shows that their young players were maturing into their roles. I like the MAC to sweep the Sun Belt in the bowls. TOLEDO
Mon Dec 27 - Independence Bowl - Air Force Falcons v Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Air Force is frequently tough in bowl games. While they don't get to represent the armed forces in the Armed Forces Bowl (the military academy with the WORST record gets that dubious honor), they get a weakened Yellow Jackets team to help boost their bowl record. AIR FORCE
Tues Dec 28:
Champs Sports Bowl - #20 West Virginia Mountaineers v NC State Wolf Pack: First, let me congratulate the NC State Wolf Pack for an excellent season. They appeared in the Top 25 several weeks, although they didn't finish the season there. NC State overwhelmed some tough opponents, but losses to Clemson and Maryland hurt their record. For the Big East, it was certainly a down year for the conference, and there were times when no conference team was ranked. West Virginia hung on to their rank, but it certainly doesn't help that the conference winner AND runner-up failed to make the Top 25. That would seem to open the door for NC State, but the Mountaineers are a tough bowl opponent, and I think they'll take an early lead and hold on to win. WEST VIRGINIA
Insight Bowl - #14 Missouri Tigers v Iowa Hawkeyes: First appearance of both the Big Ten and Big XII, who face each other three times in the bowls. Missouri is the obvious favorite, but Iowa is traditionally a tough bowl opponent, and I can't dismiss that. I actually think Iowa will take a fourth quarter lead, but Missouri will get into field goal range on their last drive and win the game. MISSOURI
Wed Dec 29:
Military Bowl - East Carolina Pirates v Maryland Terrapins: The armed forces now get a second bowl, and it doesn't even feature a team with military history. Couldn't they have gotten Texas A&M for this game? They didn't, and they match a fiesty yet inconsistent Pirates team against a Maryland squad that continually improved as the season progressed. They nearly had a chance to play for the ACC title, after all! That momentum will help them, although the Pirates defense will keep this game scoreless until late in the second quarter. MARYLAND
Texas Bowl - Illinois Fighting Illini v Baylor Bears: Basically a home game for Baylor, nearly everyone is picking the Bears. I beg to differ, though. Yes, the Bears started the season strongly, but they seemed to lose steam after their loss to Texas Tech. They barely beat conference doormat Colorado, barely beat Kansas State (who were down this year), and barely beat Texas (who were REALLY down this year!). They were then blown away in their final three games. Illinois played in the highly-competitive Big Ten conference, and had some impressive wins. I have to go for the upset here, especially since the Bears have not seem a defense as fast as Illinois' this season. That fast defense will frustrate Baylor's offense, allowing Illinois the chance to win. ILLINOIS
Alamo Bowl - Arizona Wildcats v #12 Oklahoma State Cowboys: Aside from the Las Vegas Bowl and Hawaii Bowl, this has the best chance to be the worst blowout of the bowl games so far. The Cowboys offense is awesome; too strong for the Wildcats defense. Arizona's offense doesn't move well enough to keep up with Oklahoma State on EITHER side of the ball. OKLAHOMA STATE
Thurs Dec 30:
Armed Forces Bowl - Army Black Knights v SMU Mustangs: Army hasn't been to a bowl game in twenty years, and they have a chance to win this bowl game dedicated to our nation's armed forces. SMU has some tricks up their sleeves, so I'll pick them, but Army has their version of the spread working fairly well, so don't be surprised if the Knights bring the Armed Forces trophy home to West Point. SMU
Pinstripe Bowl - Kansas State Wildcats v Syracuse Orangemen: Kansas State had a down year from normal, but the entire Big East was down. Syracuse has a good record thanks to their conference record, but Kansas State earned their record against some harsh opponents. KANSAS STATE
Music City Bowl - North Carolina Tar Heels v Tennessee Volunteers: The Vols had a tough schedule, but they finished strongly thanks to games against weaker teams. I think their earlier challenges toughened them, so they should be in better position to win this game. TENNESSEE
Holiday Bowl - #17 Nebraska Cornhuskers v Washington Huskies: Holiday Bowls are frequently offensive showdowns, and this has the makings of another. Although Jake Locker and Washington were disappointing during the season, I think they'll get it together for the bowl game. They did last year. This will be an excellent offensive showdown, but Nebraska's defense will provide just enough deterrent to Locker to allow Nebraska to prevail. NEBRASKA
Thursday, December 9, 2010
NFL Week 14 picks
We're in the home stretch. With four games remaining, division races become important, so I'll cover that before the picks each week, as many division games remain on teams' schedules.
AFC East: The Pats hold a one-game edge over the Jets. The Dolphins have a mathematical chance, but they'd need to win out. The Bills are out of the playoff hunt.
AFC North: The Steelers lead Baltimore by a game. The Browns have a very slim chance, but a loss kills that. The Bengals are out of the playoff hunt.
AFC South: The Jaguars lead the division by a game, but everyone is still possible to win this division.
AFC West: The Chiefs lead by two games. A win this week, and a loss by Oakland, gives them the title. The Chargers have a chance if they beat the Chiefs this week. Denver is out of the race.
NFC East: Philly and the Giants are tied at the top. Both Washington and Dallas have outside chances.
NFC North: Chicago leads the Pack by a game. The Vikings still have a slim chance, but a loss removes that. Detroit is out of the playoff hunt.
NFC South: Atlanta leads the Saints by a game. Tampa Bay still has a chance, both for the title and a wildcard spot. Carolina is long out of the running.
NFC West: This one is still ups for grabs from everyone, including Arizona. The winner of this division might have a losing record.
Thursday Night - Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans: The Colts are struggling without a running game and with half of their receivers new to the system. Tennessee's defense is strong enough to push the Colts like Dallas did, but their offense isn't quite as good. I think the Titans will fall short. COLTS, 24-23
Sunday early games:
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers: Atlanta locks a playoff spot with a win. They shouldn't have any problem clinching that. FALCONS, 27-13
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers: Pittsburgh has been a better road team than home team this season, but this one should be a strong home win. The Bengals are having trouble making use of their talented receiving corps, and the Steelers defense will make life even tougher. STEELERS, 23-13
Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills: Cleveland still has playoff hopes. The Bills might want to play spoiler, but I think the Browns' defense will keep things close enough for Delhomme to pull off a late win. BROWNS, 24-20
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions: Knowing the Bears face New England, the Pack know they have a chance to even things up with their division rival. That means they'll pound Detroit. PACK, 27-16
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings: It looks like Favre's streak of consecutive starts is over. Tavaris Jackson will take the reins, but the Giants' defense is not a way to start for the first time in over two years. GIANTS, 23-13
Oakland Raiders at Jacksonville Jaguars: Oakland actually has a better points margin than Jacksonville, but the Jags have done an excellent job of winning close games. They tend to control the ground game, and that will continue in this game. JAGS, 24-23
Tampa Bay Bucs at Washington Redskins: Josh Freeman and company have lost two in a row, but that streak should end. Washington is a team in disarray, and the Bucs will take advantage of that. BUCS, 26-16
Sunday late games:
Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals: For the first time in three years, I'm taking a NO PICK on this one. The teams are closely matched, and frankly, this game won't matter to either of them.
Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers: The Chiefs are the only team who could clinch a division title this week. They need a win to do that. San Diego doesn't want to be dropped just yet, so they'll fight to stay in, but in the end I think the Chiefs defense will prevail. CHIEFS, 24-20
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets: The Jets will pretty well clinch a playoff spot with a win. That should be possible, as the injury-plagued Dolphins won't be that much of a threat. JETS, 23-10
New England Patriots at Chicago Bears: As much as I love my Bears, the Pats are too tough for them. PATS, 31-13
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers: Troy Smith is a step up from Alex Smith, but the 49ers' offense is still struggling. Their defense is good, so they'll stay close to Seatlle, but I think the Seahawks will prove just too much for them. SEAHAWKS, 17-13
St Louis Rams at New Orleans Saints: I think the Rams will make this contest closer than the Saints would like, but the defending Super Bowl champs have enough tools to win their tenth game. SAINTS, 23-20
Sunday Night - Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys: Jason Garrett has the Cowboys moving in the right direction, but Philly is just a bit too much offensively for them. EAGLES, 27-20
Monday Night Football - Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans: Houston's defense will make this a battle, but the Ravens will end up with the victory. RAVENS, 16-13
AFC East: The Pats hold a one-game edge over the Jets. The Dolphins have a mathematical chance, but they'd need to win out. The Bills are out of the playoff hunt.
AFC North: The Steelers lead Baltimore by a game. The Browns have a very slim chance, but a loss kills that. The Bengals are out of the playoff hunt.
AFC South: The Jaguars lead the division by a game, but everyone is still possible to win this division.
AFC West: The Chiefs lead by two games. A win this week, and a loss by Oakland, gives them the title. The Chargers have a chance if they beat the Chiefs this week. Denver is out of the race.
NFC East: Philly and the Giants are tied at the top. Both Washington and Dallas have outside chances.
NFC North: Chicago leads the Pack by a game. The Vikings still have a slim chance, but a loss removes that. Detroit is out of the playoff hunt.
NFC South: Atlanta leads the Saints by a game. Tampa Bay still has a chance, both for the title and a wildcard spot. Carolina is long out of the running.
NFC West: This one is still ups for grabs from everyone, including Arizona. The winner of this division might have a losing record.
Thursday Night - Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans: The Colts are struggling without a running game and with half of their receivers new to the system. Tennessee's defense is strong enough to push the Colts like Dallas did, but their offense isn't quite as good. I think the Titans will fall short. COLTS, 24-23
Sunday early games:
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers: Atlanta locks a playoff spot with a win. They shouldn't have any problem clinching that. FALCONS, 27-13
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers: Pittsburgh has been a better road team than home team this season, but this one should be a strong home win. The Bengals are having trouble making use of their talented receiving corps, and the Steelers defense will make life even tougher. STEELERS, 23-13
Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills: Cleveland still has playoff hopes. The Bills might want to play spoiler, but I think the Browns' defense will keep things close enough for Delhomme to pull off a late win. BROWNS, 24-20
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions: Knowing the Bears face New England, the Pack know they have a chance to even things up with their division rival. That means they'll pound Detroit. PACK, 27-16
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings: It looks like Favre's streak of consecutive starts is over. Tavaris Jackson will take the reins, but the Giants' defense is not a way to start for the first time in over two years. GIANTS, 23-13
Oakland Raiders at Jacksonville Jaguars: Oakland actually has a better points margin than Jacksonville, but the Jags have done an excellent job of winning close games. They tend to control the ground game, and that will continue in this game. JAGS, 24-23
Tampa Bay Bucs at Washington Redskins: Josh Freeman and company have lost two in a row, but that streak should end. Washington is a team in disarray, and the Bucs will take advantage of that. BUCS, 26-16
Sunday late games:
Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals: For the first time in three years, I'm taking a NO PICK on this one. The teams are closely matched, and frankly, this game won't matter to either of them.
Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers: The Chiefs are the only team who could clinch a division title this week. They need a win to do that. San Diego doesn't want to be dropped just yet, so they'll fight to stay in, but in the end I think the Chiefs defense will prevail. CHIEFS, 24-20
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets: The Jets will pretty well clinch a playoff spot with a win. That should be possible, as the injury-plagued Dolphins won't be that much of a threat. JETS, 23-10
New England Patriots at Chicago Bears: As much as I love my Bears, the Pats are too tough for them. PATS, 31-13
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers: Troy Smith is a step up from Alex Smith, but the 49ers' offense is still struggling. Their defense is good, so they'll stay close to Seatlle, but I think the Seahawks will prove just too much for them. SEAHAWKS, 17-13
St Louis Rams at New Orleans Saints: I think the Rams will make this contest closer than the Saints would like, but the defending Super Bowl champs have enough tools to win their tenth game. SAINTS, 23-20
Sunday Night - Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys: Jason Garrett has the Cowboys moving in the right direction, but Philly is just a bit too much offensively for them. EAGLES, 27-20
Monday Night Football - Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans: Houston's defense will make this a battle, but the Ravens will end up with the victory. RAVENS, 16-13
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
NCAA Week 14 Top 25
This is the final Top 25 before the bowl games. While the annual Army-Navy game remains, Navy will not crack the Top 25.
This week's ranking [Last week's position]
1. Auburn Tigers (13-0) [2]
2. Oregon Ducks (12-0) [1]
3. TCU Horned Frogs (12-0) [3]
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) [4]
5. Stanford Cardinal (11-1) [5]
6. Wisconsin Badgers (11-1) [6]
7. Boise State Broncos (11-1) [7]
8. Nevada Wolfpack (12-1) [8]
9. Michigan State Spartans (11-1) [9]
10. Virginia Tech Hokies (11-2) [10]
11. Oklahoma Sooners (11-2) [11]
12. Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-2) [12]
13. Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2) [13]
14. Missouri Tigers (10-2) [14]
15. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3) [15]
16. Utah Utes (10-2) [18]
17. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) [16]
18. LSU Tigers (10-2) [19]
19. Central Florida Knights (10-3) [23]
20. West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3) [24]
21. Northern Illinois Huskies (10-3) [17]
22. Hawaii Warriors (10-3) [25]
23. Texas A&M Aggies (9-3) [20]
24. Florida State Seminoles (9-4) [22]
25. South Carolina Gamecocks (9-4) [21]
On the Edge: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (9-3), Navy Midshipmen (8-3)
This week's ranking [Last week's position]
1. Auburn Tigers (13-0) [2]
2. Oregon Ducks (12-0) [1]
3. TCU Horned Frogs (12-0) [3]
4. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) [4]
5. Stanford Cardinal (11-1) [5]
6. Wisconsin Badgers (11-1) [6]
7. Boise State Broncos (11-1) [7]
8. Nevada Wolfpack (12-1) [8]
9. Michigan State Spartans (11-1) [9]
10. Virginia Tech Hokies (11-2) [10]
11. Oklahoma Sooners (11-2) [11]
12. Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-2) [12]
13. Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2) [13]
14. Missouri Tigers (10-2) [14]
15. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-3) [15]
16. Utah Utes (10-2) [18]
17. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-3) [16]
18. LSU Tigers (10-2) [19]
19. Central Florida Knights (10-3) [23]
20. West Virginia Mountaineers (9-3) [24]
21. Northern Illinois Huskies (10-3) [17]
22. Hawaii Warriors (10-3) [25]
23. Texas A&M Aggies (9-3) [20]
24. Florida State Seminoles (9-4) [22]
25. South Carolina Gamecocks (9-4) [21]
On the Edge: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (9-3), Navy Midshipmen (8-3)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
NFL Week 13 picks
Still five weeks to play and nobody has clinched a playoff berth. Some teams are clearly out of the playoff hunt at this time, although Carolina is the only one mathematically eliminated. Still, I don't think Cincinnati, Arizona, Dallas, or Detroit will be there.
Thursday night - Houston Texans at Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles will be hot to win after their loss to Chicago last week. Houston's defense is good, but not good enough to seal up Vick like Chicago did. EAGLES, 30-20
Sunday early games:
Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings: I'll admit it, I've been very impressed with Ryan Fitzpatrick since he took over as Bills' quarterback. The Bills have been in each of their games, and if not for a fumble-fingered overtime drop, the Bills would have upset Pittsburgh last week. Minnesota is a team in a funk, and I don't see them getting out of it soon, despite the win last week at Washington. I'm going for the upset here! BILLS, 23-20
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions: The Bears beat a quality opponent by keeping Michael Vick bottled up. They don't have to rush the quarterback as much at Detroit, but you can bet that Chicago will add to their unbeaten division record. BEARS, 23-17
Cleveland Browns at Miami Dolphins: Here's an interesting match-up. The Browns bring an atrocious 1-4 road record into Miami, where the Dolphins are a terrible 1-4 at home this season. Chad Henne and the Dolphins offense has shown some life the past couple of weeks, with strong showings against Oakland and Tennessee. The game against the Titans, in fact, was their first home win in 2010. Jake Delhomme starts for Cleveland. Delhomme can be dangerous, but he's still feeling out the receivers at Cleveland. I like Miami to win their second home game of the season. DOLPHINS, 23-21
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs: Grudge match! Chiefs Head Coach Todd Haley felt that Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels ran up the score against the Chiefs in their rivalry game last month. While that is a common claim in college, the NFL has different rules. You don't pay the starting players big bucks to sit on the bench, unless you've already clinched a playoff berth and you're resting them for the postseason. Still, Haley refused to shake McDaniels' hand, and I'm sure he's come up with a devious and varied offensive plan against a Broncos defense clearly playing confused recently. CHIEFS, 34-23
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans: Despite the problems in Dallas and Minnesota this season, I don't think there's a team in more disarray right now than the Tennessee Titans. There seems to be an unbridgeable rift between Vince Young and Head Coach Jeff Fisher, and team management is not backing Fisher. Young has had another of his frequent breakdowns, but the front office still supports him. Fisher doesn't, and put a relative amateur in charge of a suddenly anemic Titans offense. Given their porous defense, they could be throwing away their playoff chances, which are pretty good right now, given how every team in the AFC South is within a game of each other. The Jags hope to pull away with a win here. JAGS, 26-16
New Orleans Saints at Cincinnati Bengals: While they haven't always looked stupendous, the defending Super Champs are admirably holding their own this season. They are letting divisional rival Atlanta, with their unbeaten home record and exciting QB "Matty Ice", command the headlines while they rack up victories. Their offense has been sporadic, but their defense is stout. That stout defense will frustrate a sputtering Bengals offense, giving the Saints their ninth win of the season. SAINTS, 30-17
San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers: San Francisco's defense showed up in Arizona, but they were assisted by a Cardinals' meltdown. I don't think they'll fare as well against a hungry Packers team, eager to erase the near-miss in Atlanta. PACK, 26-19
Washington Redskins at New York Giants: The Redskins talk a big talk, but they haven't been consistently backing it up this season. The Giants offense has been sporadic, but the defense is there, and that should be enough to halt the Redskins. GIANTS, 24-13
Sunday late games:
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Bucs: The Falcons are the best team in the NFC, and they have the power to prove it. Bolstered by an unbeaten 6-0 home record, the Falcons nevertheless are a force on the road, too. The Bucs have sputtered offensively, while the Falcons successfully engineering scoring drives. Even with a good defense, the Bucs will need more support from their offense than they will get. FALCONS, 27-20
Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks: Seattle isn't having a stellar year, but they certainly have the firepower to clobber the league-worst Panthers. SEAHAWKS, 26-17
Dallas Cowboys at Indianapolis Colts: Indy hopes to pull away in the AFC South. Fortunately, they get the wobbly Cowboys at home. While a poor road team this season, the Colts are 4-1 at home and produce nearly twice the offensive yardage. Despite a patchwork of receivers, Peyton Manning still finds targets. COLTS, 27-17
Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers: San Diego's offense is back on track; in fact, Phillip Rivers has been the highest-rated quarterback in recent weeks. They should overpower a Raiders defense that is good, but not spectacular. CHARGERS, 30-21
St Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals: Derek Anderson is getting defensive, resulting in his postgame rant last week. If he doesn't cool down and get it together, the Cards will have a rough stretch to finish the season. That'll start with this game, as Sam Bradford has the Rams moving; he registered his first 300-yard game as a pro last week. As he learns more and gains more confidence, this team could get deadly. Right now, they're at least deadly enough to beat Arizona. RAMS, 26-13
Sunday night game - Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens: The Steelers escaped with an overtime win against Buffalo last week due to a fluke dropped pass. I think that shows that they are ripe for an upset. They travel to division rival Baltimore this week, and each team has the same record. Pittsburgh has a slightly better points margin over Baltimore, and bring a phenomenal 5-1 road record into Baltimore, but the Ravens defense is nearly as stout as Pittsburgh's, and the Ravens have an unbeaten 5-0 home record this season. I like the Ravens' chances here. RAVENS, 21-20
Monday Night Football -- New York Jets at New England Patriots: The winner will be the best team in the AFC and hold a game lead in the AFC East. I think each of these teams are playoff bound, but who will win here? These bouts are always intense, and will go down to the bitter end. I think it'll depend upon who has the ball last, and how well they can move it down the field. I think Bill Belichick is excellent at managing time, and the Pats will probably have the final possession. The Jets defense is intense, but I think Tom Brady and company gets the ball in field goal range, and wins the game on a last-second field goal. PATS, 27-24
Thursday night - Houston Texans at Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles will be hot to win after their loss to Chicago last week. Houston's defense is good, but not good enough to seal up Vick like Chicago did. EAGLES, 30-20
Sunday early games:
Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings: I'll admit it, I've been very impressed with Ryan Fitzpatrick since he took over as Bills' quarterback. The Bills have been in each of their games, and if not for a fumble-fingered overtime drop, the Bills would have upset Pittsburgh last week. Minnesota is a team in a funk, and I don't see them getting out of it soon, despite the win last week at Washington. I'm going for the upset here! BILLS, 23-20
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions: The Bears beat a quality opponent by keeping Michael Vick bottled up. They don't have to rush the quarterback as much at Detroit, but you can bet that Chicago will add to their unbeaten division record. BEARS, 23-17
Cleveland Browns at Miami Dolphins: Here's an interesting match-up. The Browns bring an atrocious 1-4 road record into Miami, where the Dolphins are a terrible 1-4 at home this season. Chad Henne and the Dolphins offense has shown some life the past couple of weeks, with strong showings against Oakland and Tennessee. The game against the Titans, in fact, was their first home win in 2010. Jake Delhomme starts for Cleveland. Delhomme can be dangerous, but he's still feeling out the receivers at Cleveland. I like Miami to win their second home game of the season. DOLPHINS, 23-21
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs: Grudge match! Chiefs Head Coach Todd Haley felt that Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels ran up the score against the Chiefs in their rivalry game last month. While that is a common claim in college, the NFL has different rules. You don't pay the starting players big bucks to sit on the bench, unless you've already clinched a playoff berth and you're resting them for the postseason. Still, Haley refused to shake McDaniels' hand, and I'm sure he's come up with a devious and varied offensive plan against a Broncos defense clearly playing confused recently. CHIEFS, 34-23
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans: Despite the problems in Dallas and Minnesota this season, I don't think there's a team in more disarray right now than the Tennessee Titans. There seems to be an unbridgeable rift between Vince Young and Head Coach Jeff Fisher, and team management is not backing Fisher. Young has had another of his frequent breakdowns, but the front office still supports him. Fisher doesn't, and put a relative amateur in charge of a suddenly anemic Titans offense. Given their porous defense, they could be throwing away their playoff chances, which are pretty good right now, given how every team in the AFC South is within a game of each other. The Jags hope to pull away with a win here. JAGS, 26-16
New Orleans Saints at Cincinnati Bengals: While they haven't always looked stupendous, the defending Super Champs are admirably holding their own this season. They are letting divisional rival Atlanta, with their unbeaten home record and exciting QB "Matty Ice", command the headlines while they rack up victories. Their offense has been sporadic, but their defense is stout. That stout defense will frustrate a sputtering Bengals offense, giving the Saints their ninth win of the season. SAINTS, 30-17
San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers: San Francisco's defense showed up in Arizona, but they were assisted by a Cardinals' meltdown. I don't think they'll fare as well against a hungry Packers team, eager to erase the near-miss in Atlanta. PACK, 26-19
Washington Redskins at New York Giants: The Redskins talk a big talk, but they haven't been consistently backing it up this season. The Giants offense has been sporadic, but the defense is there, and that should be enough to halt the Redskins. GIANTS, 24-13
Sunday late games:
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Bucs: The Falcons are the best team in the NFC, and they have the power to prove it. Bolstered by an unbeaten 6-0 home record, the Falcons nevertheless are a force on the road, too. The Bucs have sputtered offensively, while the Falcons successfully engineering scoring drives. Even with a good defense, the Bucs will need more support from their offense than they will get. FALCONS, 27-20
Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks: Seattle isn't having a stellar year, but they certainly have the firepower to clobber the league-worst Panthers. SEAHAWKS, 26-17
Dallas Cowboys at Indianapolis Colts: Indy hopes to pull away in the AFC South. Fortunately, they get the wobbly Cowboys at home. While a poor road team this season, the Colts are 4-1 at home and produce nearly twice the offensive yardage. Despite a patchwork of receivers, Peyton Manning still finds targets. COLTS, 27-17
Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers: San Diego's offense is back on track; in fact, Phillip Rivers has been the highest-rated quarterback in recent weeks. They should overpower a Raiders defense that is good, but not spectacular. CHARGERS, 30-21
St Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals: Derek Anderson is getting defensive, resulting in his postgame rant last week. If he doesn't cool down and get it together, the Cards will have a rough stretch to finish the season. That'll start with this game, as Sam Bradford has the Rams moving; he registered his first 300-yard game as a pro last week. As he learns more and gains more confidence, this team could get deadly. Right now, they're at least deadly enough to beat Arizona. RAMS, 26-13
Sunday night game - Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens: The Steelers escaped with an overtime win against Buffalo last week due to a fluke dropped pass. I think that shows that they are ripe for an upset. They travel to division rival Baltimore this week, and each team has the same record. Pittsburgh has a slightly better points margin over Baltimore, and bring a phenomenal 5-1 road record into Baltimore, but the Ravens defense is nearly as stout as Pittsburgh's, and the Ravens have an unbeaten 5-0 home record this season. I like the Ravens' chances here. RAVENS, 21-20
Monday Night Football -- New York Jets at New England Patriots: The winner will be the best team in the AFC and hold a game lead in the AFC East. I think each of these teams are playoff bound, but who will win here? These bouts are always intense, and will go down to the bitter end. I think it'll depend upon who has the ball last, and how well they can move it down the field. I think Bill Belichick is excellent at managing time, and the Pats will probably have the final possession. The Jets defense is intense, but I think Tom Brady and company gets the ball in field goal range, and wins the game on a last-second field goal. PATS, 27-24
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)